Storage water heater



May 5, 1925. 1,536,613

H. J. LYONS STORAGE WATER HEATER Filed March 20. 1924 l A76 4 26 f /".34

Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY J. LYONS, OF GENEVA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO GENEVA HEATER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

STORAGE WATER HEATER.

Application filed March 20,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,- HARRY J. L ons, a citizen of the United States, residing at Geneva, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Storage WVater Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to water heaters adapted for household and other similar purposes and more particularly to the type of heater comprising a tank in which t e water is both heated and stored for use.

The primary purpose of this invention is to provide a heater which will be economical to manufacture and which will be eflicient in operation so that it may be operated at a low cost, and which will maintain a considerable quantity of water at a predetermined heated temperature so that it is immediately available for use when required.

Other objects and advantages of this invention should be readily understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying draw- Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical central sectional view through a heater embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, reference character 5 indicates generally a storage tank formed of boiler material or other suitably heavy metal, adapted to contain water under pressure and wherein the water is both heated and stored for use. The tank is surrounded by a jacket 6 formed of suitable heat insulating material, and the whole structure is carried upon a base plate 7, supported by suitable legs 8. The tank 5 is formed to provide a central flue and heating chamber 9 extending centrally through the tank in a vertical direction from end to end thereof. The bottom 11 of the tank is spaced upwardly a consid erable distance above the base plate 7 to provide a combustion chamber 12, access to which may be had at one side of the chamber through a door 13.

The base plate 7 is provided with a central opening 14 through which air to support combustion flows to the burner 15, which is 1924. Serial No. 700,530.

mounted directly over the opening. A mixing tube 16, in which air and gas are mixed before being delivered to the burner, extends laterally from the burner, and a gas supply pipe 17 projects into the outer end of said tube. A control valve 18 is interposed in the pipe 17 and the o ening and closing of this valve is controlle by a thermostat 19 projecting into the storage tank so as to be influenced by the temperature of the water therein. The upper end of the gas supply pipe 17 is connected with the gas main, or any other suitable source of gas supply, and a shutoli valve 21 is preferably interposed in this pipe so that gas to the burner may be entirely shutoff when desired. A pipe 22 connected with the gas supply pipe above the'thermostat valve 18, terminates in a pilot burner 23 located in proximity to the main burner 15 for the purpose of lighting said main burner when gas is admitted thereto. The pilot light pipe 22 has a valve 21 therein so that the gas supplied to the pilot light may be shut off when desired.

For the purpose of facilitating the heating of the water in the tank and for the further purpose of establishing a circulation of such water during the heating thereof, a pipe or large tube 24 is disposed with in the tank around the central flue 9 and is spaced from said flue a limited distance to provide within the pipe and around the flue a heating and circulating passage or chamber 25. The lower end of this pipe is supported upon a circulating baiile 26 in the form of a plate having a central opening communicating with the space 25, the perimeter of this plate or bafiie being spaced from the surrounding walls of the tank and the plate being supported upon a plurality of suitable legs 27, so that the baflle is spaced away from and above the bottom 11 of the tank. When the tank is full of water, the water in the space 25 which is heated from the flue 9, flows upwardly and is delivered into the upper portion of the tank through openings 28. At the same time the colder water flows downwardly around the perimeter of the bafile 26, then inwardly over the bottom 11 and thence upwardly within the tube 24:-

For the purpose of utilizing to the maximum degree the heat units rising through the flue 9 from the burner in the combusscribed. From Fig. 1 it will be observed that the upper end ofthe tank 5 terminates some little distance beneath the heat insulating top 29 of the structure. \Vithin the space between the top 29 and the upper end of the tank a baflie plate 31 is supported intermediate the to and the tank by suitable stays 32. Since t e diameter of the plate 31 is less than the diameter of the heater structure, a assage is formed over the top of the tank t en upwardly around the edges of the'bafile 31, and then inwardly beneath the top 29 through which the products of combustion issuing from the flue 9 pass before'they are delivered through the discharge opening 33 formed in the center of the top 29. The deflection of the products of combustion around this bafiie results in the heating of the upper end of the tank and thus increases the eiiiciency of the heater.

For the purpose of bathing the flow of the products of combustion through the flue 9, I have arranged within said flue a plurality of baflies 34, two being shown in the present instance for illustrative purposes, which bafiles are carried b a rod 35 depending from the center of t e battle plate 31.

In the operation of the heater water is supplied to the tank to keep the same full through a supply pipe 36 connected with the city water main, or other source of supply, and having its delivery end extending downwardly into the tank to a point referably near the bottom of the tank. he pilot burner 23 being lighted, if the temperature of the water surrounding the thermostat 19 be lower than the temperature for which the thermostat is set, the thermostat will contract, opening the fuel control valve 18 and admitting a supply of fuel to the burner 15 where it is ignited by the pilot burner. The products of combustion rising from the burner, heat the bottom 11 of the tank and as they pass upwardly through the flue 9,

the walls of the flue are heated and as the products are deflected around the baflle plate 31, the top of the tank is also heated. The heat units transferred through the bottom 11 and the walls of the flue 9 to the surroundin water, cause the water to flow up ward] in the space 25 around the flue, the heate water being delivered into the top of the tank through the openings 28. The colder water flowing to the bottom of the tank passes inwardly beneath the bafile 26 where it enters the space 25, and in turn becomes heated and flows upwardly. A circulation of water within the tank is therefore established, which facilitates the heating of the water. \Vhen the water surrounding the thermostat becomes heated to a predetermined temperature, the expansion of the thermostat closes the valve 18, thus cutting off the supply of fuel to the main burner. A tank full of heated water is therefore maintained ready for use and when part of it is drawn off and other water flows in through the pipe 36, the thermostat being cooled by the inflowing water, contracts and opens the valve 18, thus again turning on the main burner.

The heater therefore operates automatically to maintain a tank of heated water at the desired temperature ready for immediate use. The baflies which deflect and retard the escape of the heated products of combustion result in a high efl'iciency of the heater, which efiiciency is still further increased by the circulating pipe 24 and the circulating baflle 26, which ensure a circulation of the water within the tank.

It is believed that the construction, operation and many of the advantages of this invention will be apparent from the foregoing without further description, and it should be manifest that the structural details illustrated and described may be varied within considerable limits without departing from the essence of this invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a water heater the combination of a tank having a vertical flue extending therethrough, a combustion chamber beneath the tank, a burner in said chamber, a circulating baille disposed within and spaced above the bottom of said tank, a pipe surrounding said flucand communicating at its lower end with the space beneath said baifle, and means within and above said flue for baffling the products of combustion rising from said burners.

2. In a water heater the combination of a bottom plate provided with a central opening, legs supporting said plate, a jacket carried by said plate, a tank surrounded by said jacket, said tank terminating short of the upper and lower ends of said jackets, a flue extending vertically through said tank, a main burner supported upon said plate over said opening, a pilot burner in proximity to said main burner, a pipe in said tank surrounding said flue and spaced therefrom, a circulating bafiie spaced above the bottom of Said tank, baflies 1n said flue, and a bafile plate above the flue.

3. In a water heater in combination, a water tank provided with a center flue, a fuel burner beneath said flue, a pipe in said tank surrounding and spaced from said flue and-communicating only at the top and bottom thereof with the interior of said tank, and a single baflle plate extending radially outward about and from the lower end of said pipe and in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the bottom of said tank to provide a passage for circulation of water inwardly from the walls of said tank toward said lpipe and upwardly therethroughw 4. a water heater in combination, a circular water tank provided with a center flue extending between the ends thereof, a fuel burner beneath the lower end of said flue, a circular partition in said tank surroundin and spaced from said flue, openings in sai partition at the to thereof for communication with the interior of said tank, said partition being spaced slightly above the bottom of said tank for water circulation between said tank and the space interiorly of said partition, and a single circular baflle plate extending radially outward about and from the lower end of said partition and in a lane substantially parallel to the plane of the bottom of said tank to provide a passage for circulation of water inwardly from the walls of said tank beneath said baflie toward and upwardly through the space between said partition and Saul flue.

5. A water heater, comprising a boiler, a flue located therein between the top and bottom thereof a water circulating pipe surrounding said flue and communicatin with the upper and lower portions of the oiler, and a sin le horizontally disposed circular partition 1n the boiler surrounding the flue a short distance above the bottom of said boiler formi a water chamber communicating with t h e water circulating pipe and with the water space exterior of said water circulating pipe.

HOWARD A. J OHN SON.

inwardly from the walls of said tank toward said ipe and upwardly therethrough.

4. n a water heater in combination, a circular water tank provided with a center flue extending between the ends thereof, a fuel burner beneath the lower end of said flue, a circular partition in said tank surroundin and s aced from said flue, openings in said partition at the top thereof for communication with the interior of said tank, said partition being spaced slightly above the bottom of said tank for water circulation between said tank and the space interiorly of said partition, and a single circular baflie plate extending radially outward about and from the lower end of said partition and in a lane substantially parallel to the plane 0? the bottom of said tank to provide a passage for circulation of water inwardly from the walls of said tank beneath said bafiie toward and upwardly through the space between said partition and said fine.

5. A water heater, comprising a boiler, a flue located therein between the top and bottom thereof, a water circulating pipe surrounding said flue and communicatin with the upper and lower portions of the oiler, and a single horizontally disposed circular partition 1n the boiler surrounding the flue a short distance above the bottom of said boiler formin a water chamber communicating with t e water circulating pi e and with the water space exterior of said water circulating pipe.

HOWARD A. JOHNSON.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that the signature of the patentee at the end of the printed specification in Letters Patent No. 1,536,613, granted May 5, 1925, upon the applies tionof Harry J. Lyons, of Geneva, Illinois, for an improvement in Storage \Vater Heaters, was erroneously printed as Howard A. 'Johnson, whereas said name should have been printed as Harry! J. Tag 01m," and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent ()fiice.

Signed and sealed this 22d day of September, A. D. 1925.

[smart] KARL FENNING, Acting Comvm'ssicmer of Patents.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that the signature of the patentee at the end of the printed specification in Letters Patent No. 1,536,61 granted May 5, 1925, upon the application-bf Harry J. Lyon, of Geneva, Illinois for an improvement in Storage Water Heaters, was erroneously printed as Howard A. 'Johnson, Whereas said name should have been printed as Harry; J. [ya/2R, and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22d day of September, A. D. 1925.

[SEAL] KARL F EN NIN G,

Acting Uommissz'oner of Patents. 

